<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Flames by Mistress_of_Vos</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27843448">Flames</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mistress_of_Vos/pseuds/Mistress_of_Vos'>Mistress_of_Vos</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics), Red Robin (Comics)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Avatar &amp; Benders Setting, Fire Lord Ra's, Firebender Tim, Firebending &amp; Firebenders, Implied Sexual Content, Infidelity, M/M, Military, No Beta, Power Dynamics, War, i think</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 21:20:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Underage</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,926</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27843448</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mistress_of_Vos/pseuds/Mistress_of_Vos</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Long, warm fingers raise Timothy’s chin, a thumb pressing his left cheek.</p><p>Fire Lord Ra’s is smirking. </p><p>“I have a task for you.”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Tim Drake/Ra's al Ghul</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>82</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Flames</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Tim is a Firebender and I do not take criticism. This idea was born on twitter.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Timothy is six years old, he is taken away from his home by the Fire Lord’s orders.</p><p>“He is a prodigy, he will serve to the Fire Nation,” says Lady Shiva, a legendary firebender, when she takes him away without explaining anything to Tim.</p><p>(Tim had only wanted to show his blue flames to his friends…)</p><p>Shiva takes him and they travel for days, in complete silence.</p><p>Tim looks at the sky turning red every night and wonders what she means by <em>prodigy</em>; he wonders why Shiva, a legendary general of the Fire Nation, would go all the way to a poor colony just for him; he wonders what she means by <em>serve</em>.</p><p>And Lady Shiva… She just stares at Tim whenever he plays with his blue flames.</p><p>*</p><p>*</p><p>They arrive to the <em>Real Academy of Firebending</em> after nine days of travel. They finally are at Nanda Parbat, the capital of the nation, the city where the Fire Lord resides.</p><p>Tim wants to say that he is not a noble kid, that he is just the child of a mere fisherman, that he doesn’t even have a last name.</p><p>Shiva looks at him with her dark eyes and Tim stays silent.</p><p>He is assigned a room, a schedule of training, a set of teachers.</p><p>A last name.</p><p>Timothy Drake is a prodigy, he must serve to his nation.</p><p>*</p><p>*</p><p>He trains.</p><p>He studies.</p><p>He sleeps.</p><p>He repeats the cycle.</p><p>“We serve to the Fire Lord, we serve to our Nation,” says Shiva everyday as she attacks him, burning his pale skin.</p><p>Fire becomes a weapon, an extension of his body. Fire becomes something dark and dangerous that hurts him when he isn’t careful enough.</p><p>(He gets scars in his toes and forearms.</p><p>His village becomes a distant memory, like a blurry dream).</p><p>“You will serve to the Fire Lord,” says Shiva as she hits his back to force him to sit straight as he reads old military records out loud.</p><p>“Yes, my lady,” answers Timothy before starting again.</p><p>The cycle goes on for years.</p><p>*</p><p>*</p><p>At night, Timothy looks at the Palace at the distance.</p><p>He thinks about a black shadow covered in flames called Fire Lord and then he closes his eyes.</p><p>(He feels flames burning his fingers…)</p><p>*</p><p>*</p><p>At age thirteen, Timothy accompanies Shiva to the palace for the very first time.</p><p>In fact, is the first time he leaves the academy <em>at all</em>.</p><p>He doesn’t know what to expect when the servants open the door of the throne room, his mind remembering the past, how Shiva has appeared at his parent’s door and took him like nothing, taking him away.</p><p>The Fire Lord had decided Timothy didn’t have any right to be his own person, and perhaps after all these years, Timothy agrees.</p><p>The door opens and Timothy follows Shiva’s confident walking; the room is hot and smells like sulphur, surrounded in white flames that hurt his eyes and climbing the black columns.</p><p>They bow in respect, faces almost meeting the floor and Timothy only sees a black shadow raising from the throne.</p><p>“Is this the boy, Shiva?” asks a deep, low voice.</p><p>“Yes, your majesty. I have nothing more to teach him, he is ready to leave the academy and serve the Fire Nation.”</p><p>A long cape is getting dragged in the floor, silk against the marble floor, sounding like a whisper.</p><p>Two black metal boots stop at just inches away from Timothy’s head in the floor. The Fire Lord is standing above him.</p><p>“Look at me,” orders the voice in the tone of a man that has never been questioned or rejected.</p><p>Timothy swallows and raises his head, blue eyes trembling when they meet two emeralds that inspect him.</p><p>“So much water in your eyes…” murmurs the man as he lowers himself, kneeling in front of the boy.</p><p>Long, warm fingers raise Timothy’s chin, a thumb pressing his left cheek.</p><p>Fire Lord Ra’s is smirking.</p><p>“I have a task for you.”</p><p>Suddenly, Timothy feels his lips dry.</p><p>*</p><p>*</p><p>The task, as Timothy expected, is going to war.</p><p>He follows Shiva to Gotham, city of the Earth Kingdom. It has beautiful and tall walls whose shadow fall into them as a sort of celestial sign, telling them to stop.</p><p>But Ra’s was clears in his orders, they shall burn Gotham to the ground.</p><p>They do as told.  </p><p>*</p><p>*</p><p>Timothy kills and kills and kills…</p><p>He stops counting; he tries to stop thinking about the eyes of the ones he has killed; he pretends he doesn’t listen to the cries behind him, he pretends he doesn't see people dying inside of his blue flames.</p><p>*</p><p>*</p><p>Timothy receives the rank of General just months after arriving at Gotham, still thirteen and with a childish voice.</p><p>He meets Z, Pru and Owens. They are his subordinates, his teammates, his soldiers.</p><p>He would like to say they don’t matter, but he would be lying.</p><p>For the first time since he left his village, he has friends.</p><p>The Fire Nation seem like a very distant place when he is laughing with them as they dance around the fire, death in his hands and blood in the floor.</p><p>They are all monsters, and yet…</p><p>*</p><p>*</p><p>It takes three long years for them to conquer Gotham and, in a way Timothy did not see coming, he stands next to Shiva as a war hero.</p><p>They go back to the Fire Nation and Fire Lord Ra’s receives them. He condecorates them (Shiva, Timothy, Z, Pru, Owens… And more people Timothy can’t tell) and he claps and he organizes a party just for them.</p><p>For his perfect and loyal soldiers.</p><p>“You served well,” he says to Timothy as he hands him a beautiful sword, made just for him, to the prodigy that burnt Gotham to ashes.</p><p>Timothy prefers not to think about himself as the man who made this massacre possible, but he accepts the gift.</p><p>“I live to serve you, your majesty.”</p><p>The Fire Lord nods.</p><p>*</p><p>*</p><p>Drunk with wine, Timothy allows himself to <em>look</em> at his Fire Lord.</p><p>The tall figure, the handsome face, the green eyes shimmering...</p><p>“I’m drunk,” murmurs Timothy before going back to his wine, barely listening to Shiva and Ra’s’ conversation just meters away.</p><p>He drinks another glass, his tongue tickling and eyes unable to focus. He feels his fingers anxious, wishing to burn something.</p><p>Trembling, he gets up and clears his throat.</p><p>Emerald eyes look at him with curiosity.</p><p>“I have to leave, your majesty. I’m unwell.”</p><p>Ra’s’ goes back to look at his glass.</p><p>“You may leave. Ah, and Timothy, there is another gift for you in your room waiting. I hope you enjoy it.”</p><p>Timothy nods and bows, “If it is a gift from your majesty, I’m sure I will love it.”</p><p>The prodigy leaves and walks alone for the halls of the palace for long minutes before arriving to his bed.</p><p>*</p><p>*</p><p>There is a beautiful woman on his bed.</p><p>A naked woman.</p><p>Timothy gasps (women are not exactly his liking…)</p><p>“Leave.”</p><p>His gift sighs before closing the door and Timothy throws himself to the sheets, feeling warm and dizzy.</p><p>He dreams with green eyes.</p><p>*</p><p>*</p><p>The Fire Lord calls him to the throne room days after that.</p><p>“Your majesty,” greets Timothy as he bows.</p><p>Ra’s gets up, walking until he is facing the boy.</p><p>Age, height and clothes leave clear who is the master between them.</p><p>“I am going to name you as part of my council.”</p><p>A statement, not a question.</p><p>“I’m honored.”</p><p>“You should be.”</p><p>A hand cups his chin, forcing him to raise his eyes.</p><p>“Tell me, Timothy, do you play chess?”</p><p>*</p><p>*</p><p>He joins the council. There isn’t too much to say about that.</p><p>Perhaps he feels important, dressed in nicer clothes and being called a lord.</p><p>Perhaps he feels the Fire Lord’s eyes over him all the time.</p><p>Perhaps he likes it.</p><p>*</p><p>*</p><p>It becomes a routine.</p><p>Timothy doesn’t know why the Fire Lord keeps calling him to such trivial activities as play chess or walk in the garden or have tea, but…</p><p>“You are so young,” murmurs Ra’s one night after a particular tiring reunion of the council, Timothy next to him, pouring the wine.</p><p>“I am sixteen, your majesty.”</p><p>“I know that,” Ra’s smirks before lowering himself, whispering intl Timothy’s ear softly and deep, “Tell me, if I asked you to kneel naked in front of me, would you do it?”</p><p>Timothy inhales loudly, hands dumb as they leave the bottle of wine in the table.</p><p>“I live to serve you,” he answers with a high voice, stomach incredible warm.  </p><p>Ra’s puts his hand over Tim’s tight, squeezing the limb.</p><p>“Good, perfect.”</p><p>The boy blushes.</p><p>*</p><p>*</p><p>Timothy presses himself into the sheets, biting his pillow and hands in his lower body.</p><p>He wonders if this is what lust feels like.</p><p>*</p><p>*</p><p>“Your fire is beautiful,” whispers Ra’s one day after seeing Timothy train for hours.</p><p>The boy looks away, accelerating breathing and heart beating strongly in his chest.</p><p>“Thank you.”</p><p>“You are beautiful,” says the older man as white flames appear from nothing, surrounding them in a circle, burning the plants under their feet.</p><p>Timothy swallows and looks at him, legs barely holding him.</p><p>“I… I don’t know what to say, your majesty.”</p><p>Ra’s smiles fondly and moves his hand in the air, dismissing him and making the flames disappear.</p><p>“Nothing, Timothy.”</p><p>The blue-eyed bows and loses himself in the halls of the palace, cheeks red and a stupid smile on his lips.</p><p>*</p><p>*</p><p>“You have a wife,” murmurs Timothy when his back meets the cold floor of the throne room, armor long gone and just a light silk robe covering him.</p><p>Fire Lord Ra’s over him, pressing their bodies together. Crown missing and cape almost falling to his feet.</p><p>“A wife I haven’t sleep with in years.”</p><p>“But I…”</p><p>“Timothy…” and Ra’s close his eyes, eyebrows frowning, “My marriage was decided by my own father before I was able to at least talk. There has never been love between us, and she knows better than expect me to stay to her side every night.”</p><p>The boy squirms a little, a voice in his head telling him how he just ruined this; the thing is, he doesn’t know what <em>this</em> is.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” he says in a cry.</p><p>Ra’s opens his eyes again, blinking, “Why are you apologizing?”</p><p>“I made you uncomfortable,” and the older man chuckles.</p><p>“If anyone is uncomfortable, it’s you, my dear boy. Look at how your body is trembling…” a hand caresses Timothy’s neck, “Do you prefer a bed?”</p><p>Rejecting <em>this</em> (rejecting Ra’s) is not an option.</p><p>Timothy forces his body to relax, legs falling completely into the marble floor and opening them a little, just enough for Ra’s to put one single knee between them.</p><p>“I have never done this,” he admits as he looks away, giving a better access of his neck to the older man.</p><p>“It’s not as complicated as you thing, my beautiful boy.”</p><p>Finally, their mouths meet.</p><p>It’s a good thing they aren’t in a bed, just like that, blue and white flames start to surround them, covering them.</p><p>(Protecting them).</p><p>*</p><p>*</p><p>They call him <em>Mistress</em>, even when he is a lord.</p><p>They call him <em>Mistress</em>, even when he is a man.</p><p>They call him <em>Mistress</em>, even when he is listening.</p><p>They call him <em>Mistress</em>, and they are right.</p><p>Timothy moans softly as Ra’s pushes inside of him, conquering him, taking him.</p><p>“What is troubling your mind, beloved?”</p><p>Two blue eyes look at the throne in the middle of the room, crown and cape carefully placed over the seat.</p><p>In moments like this, they aren’t king and councilor, they are just two lovers filled with passion.</p><p>Except that they will never be just that.</p><p>“Nothing. Please, keep going.”</p><p>*</p><p>*</p><p>Timothy runs into Fire Lady Melisande and Prince Damian just once.</p><p>He is walking in the garden, reading a report from the general running Gotham city, when they cross paths.</p><p>She is walking next to the young prince, a boy not older than twelve with the same green eyes of his father.</p><p>Timothy, knowing his place, bows in respect.</p><p>The woman ignores him, pushing the back of the prince so that they go back into their steps, avoiding Timothy.</p><p>He doesn’t need to ask; it is clear that she knows and that she finds it revolting.  </p><p>He doesn’t blame her; he feels disgusted about himself from time to time as well.</p><p>*</p><p>*</p><p>“I think I love you,” whispers Timothy into Ra’s ear one night as they dress again, preparing to leave the throne room so that each one can go to their own bed.</p><p>The Fire Lord tilts his head.</p><p>“You are really a mere boy, aren’t you?”</p><p>A soft, quick kiss.</p><p>“Don`t repeat those words, Timothy. You will hurt yourself.”</p><p>He understands that.</p><p>*</p><p>*</p><p>Fire Lady Melisande dies while Timothy is in a trip to Metropolis, a colony he is supposed to get under control with Pru’s help.</p><p>Timothy returns to the palace after months of absence, blood in his fingers and fire in his eyes.</p><p>Ra’s doesn’t wear white when he calls the prodigy to the throne room, the mourning of Melisande has ended before Timothy could even see it.</p><p>“How was Metropolis?”</p><p>“Difficult.”</p><p>The Fire Lord nods and moves his hand, indicating Timothy that he should get closer. The councilor obeys.</p><p>“Damian needs a teacher; his fire bending hasn’t improved in months.”</p><p>“Your majesty?”</p><p>“You will be his teacher.”</p><p>“Yes, my lord.”</p><p>“Good, now…” and Ra’s undoes his cape in a quick movement, hand taking Timothy by the wrist and sitting him in his lap, “Undress yourself, my beautiful boy.”</p><p>Timothy can’t help the pleasure that invades him when warm lips touch his skin.</p><p>*</p><p>*</p><p>Damian is a brat.</p><p>Perhaps not all the time, but he is a brat whenever he trains with Timothy.</p><p>“Don’t you dare touch me, nasty harlot,” spits the kid one time when Timothy reprimands his posture rather aggressively.</p><p>Timothy stays perplex for a moment, then, he makes the grass under Damian’s feet burn, making the kid jump.</p><p>“You will not speak to me in that tone, is that clear?”</p><p>Damian looks at him with disgust.</p><p>Timothy doesn’t tell Ra’s, mostly, because he thinks that Damian may be right.</p><p>*</p><p>*</p><p>One year after Melisande’s death, Damian attends a meeting of the council.  </p><p>When Ra’s is talking about the plans to conquer Themyscira, Damian speaks.</p><p>No, he doesn’t speak. He <em>screams</em>.</p><p>He screams and he yells about how inhuman the war is, about how cruel Ra’s is.  He screams about Ra’s being a terrible Fire Lord.</p><p>Timothy goes pale, turning around to see Damian’s angry face and then Ra’s’ unreadable expression.</p><p>“We will solve this,” says the Fire Lord while he gets up, “as the tradition dictates.”</p><p>Timothy closes his eyes.</p><p>
  <em>‘Agni Kai.’</em>
</p><p>*<br/>*</p><p>Damian will lose.</p><p>Timothy is his teacher; he knows that Damian is not at Ra’s’ level. Maybe he will never get the chance to be at his level.</p><p>Damian will lose, perhaps he will die.</p><p>Timothy doesn’t attend Ra’s calling that night, too busy burning the flowers of the garden with Damian’s words echoing in his mind.</p><p>Are they that cruel?</p><p>*</p><p>*</p><p>Damian loses, but he doesn’t die.</p><p>Ra’s’ burns his face and looks at the kid with deception before throwing his body to Talia, his nanny.</p><p>“Leave this palace immediately.”</p><p>Damian is no longer prince of the Fire Nation.</p><p>Timothy doesn’t cry, but when Ra’s fucks him in the golden throne hours later… Well, he wishes he had cried a little.</p><p>*</p><p>*</p><p>“You should stop burning so many flowers, they are expensive,” says Ra’s days later as he drinks a glass of wine, watching Timothy train with elegance, surrounded in blue flames.</p><p>The sunset above them, slowly letting place to the night.</p><p>Timothy shrugs before hitting his invisible opponent again.</p><p>Ra’s sighs with exasperation, “Stop that, come here.”</p><p>The blue-eyed obeys, walking in Ra’s’ direction and kneeling in front of him.</p><p>“Yes, your majesty?”</p><p>“Answer me something, how does the title of prince sound for you?”</p><p>Timothy feels a cold breeze blow, bristling his skin.</p><p>“Considering the nature of our relationship…”</p><p>“Timothy…”</p><p>“Inappropriate, sir.”</p><p>Ra’s chuckles, “A shame that I don’t care, don’t you think?”</p><p>Timothy tilts his head.</p><p>“Your majesty can do whatever he wants with me.”</p><p>“Indeed, I can. You live to serve me, you haven’t forgotten that, have you?”</p><p>The boy shrugs again, slowly getting up.</p><p>“No, but his majesty can do what he pleases because I love him.”</p><p>*</p><p>*</p><p>Life is a mix of blue and white flames, isn’t it?</p><p>*</p><p>*</p><p>When Timothy is thirty-five years old, Pru brings a little kid to the throne room.    </p><p>Timothy raises an eyebrow, gets up and fixes his cape. In that order.</p><p>“Is this the boy you told me about?”</p><p>Pru bows in respect, “Yes, your majesty. His name is Terry and he shows great promise.”</p><p>“Terry, show me what you can do.”</p><p>The boy, not older than Timothy himself when he arrived to Nanda Parbat, looks at him with scared eyes and then at the marble floor, playing with his hands for some seconds before raising his palm.</p><p>A strong, warm white flame appears from his skin.</p><p>Timothy chuckles.</p><p>“Take him to the Academy and train him. He will serve to the Fire Nation… And he will serve me.”</p><p>As they leave, Timothy looks at the golden throne and then touches his lips with his fingertips, mind remembering a soft kiss from years ago.  </p><p>He wonders if he has served well to Ra’s. He hopes he has.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hope you liked it. </p><p>Twitter: @mistressofvos</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>